Raising Writers

Nothing could be more important. Writing forces you to think a bit more critically about your personal experiences or insights. When you write you turn information into art. Along the way your story becomes like a child; you now have a responsibility to raise and produce something of value.
The best thing we can do is write what we know. In every paper, poem or essay I have always exposed myself in small doses. Christensen has the right idea in getting her students to open up their lives as they transform into writers. The read-around is a great technique that I could have only dreamed of for my high school. It seems to be an effective catalyst in blurring the boundaries of race, status and gender, but serious energy and persistence must be applied. When Christensen discusses the "class from hell" I am reminded of my own experience as a high school student. There were some grudges that God himself could not have broken. The read-around is a good tool, but may not be for the faint of heart or easily discouraged teacher.
My favorite section of this reading was the "I Am From" portion. Lyons' poem is so poignant and serves as an amazing ice breaker into poetry for these young students. It not only teaches them a writing technique, but it also opens the door to who they are. By revealing these memories, secrets and personal artifacts students share themselves and begin to understand one another. "Classroom life should, to the greatest extend possible, pre-figure the kind of democratic and just society we envision, and thus contribute to building that society."- Bigelow, Rethinking Our Classrooms: Teaching for Equity and Justice.